Stories have dominated the local news for years, fueled by instances of fierce community resistance, reckless construction practices that result in court ordered emergency halts to construction, contaminated drinking water supplies, environmental violations and serious safety risks. These risks enter the community through the transport of colorless, odorless, highly concentrated liquid products via a network of pipelines repurposed or installed through a largely experimental method of drilling that would not be allowed in any other densely populated area in the country.

But there’s a new game called ‘hot potato’ spreading like wildfire across the state of Pennsylvania.

The players? Local and state officials and agencies tasked with providing for the safety and welfare of the communities entrusted in their care.

The potato? Their obligation to provide for the hard-earned constitutional rights belonging to the citizens of Pa., such as their right for equal protections under the law, their right to clean air and water, and the right to a free appropriate public education.

The music? The community’s orchestration of a forte grassroots movement to advocate for the safety of their families and the wellbeing of the environment. In the absence of leadership and initiative from their elected officials, they’ve organized, rallied, researched, filed complaints, ran and won political campaigns and even been arrested in their fierce opposition to the burden of risks they’ve been forced to endure.

Unlike a traditional game of hot potato, the melody will continue to crescendo until it reaches a breaking point. When it does, the hands of our officials will be full of hot potato induced burns.

To Gov. Wolf, our state/local elected officials and the many agencies that are under oath to protect the communities they represent- it’s hard to hold hot potatoes when your hands are intertwined with the outstretched arms of the community and leading the charge.